Golden State Warriors point guard Nate Robinson (2) against San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter (22), from Brazil, during an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif., Monday, April 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Photo: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press

Golden State Warriors point guard Nate Robinson (2) against San...

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Golden State Warriors point guard Nate Robinson (2) celebrates after making a three-point basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles , Sunday, April 1, 2012. The Lakers won 120-112.

Golden State Warriors point guard Nate Robinson (2) shoots against San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter (22), from Brazil, left, and power forward Boris Diaw (33) during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif., Monday, April 16, 2012. The Spurs won 120-99.

Photo: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press

Golden State Warriors point guard Nate Robinson (2) shoots against...

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Golden State Warriors' Nate Robinson (2) drives to the basket as Portland Trail Blazers' Craig Smith (83) defends while Portland's Nolan Smith (4) watches during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 11, 2012, in Portland, Ore.

Photo: Rick Bowmer, Associated Press

Golden State Warriors' Nate Robinson (2) drives to the basket as...

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Golden State Warriors guard Nate Robinson (2) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, April 3, 2012, in Memphis, Tenn. The Grizzlies defeated the Warriors 98-94.

Warriors fans have come to know Nate Robinson as the fun-loving backup point guard who waves three fingers at a specific section of Oracle Arena after three-pointers, has a unique handshake for each teammate and dances at a moment's notice.

Warriors head coach Mark Jackson has come to know a different Robinson, one who speaks about his children before himself, has a strong faith in something more powerful than himself and is trying to learn to play in a way that doesn't bring attention to himself.

Somewhere between those two extremes is the real Nate Robinson. It's someone we won't know completely, but one who has been detailed in his journal every game day since he was traded from New York to Boston in 2010.

"It's personal," Robinson said. "It's something I'll keep for myself, thoughts that I don't want to share with other people. It's a reflection of what's going on in my life and what I'm thinking."

It's unique enough to see an NBA player turn his back to the middle of the locker room and furiously write in a diary. It's even more eye-catching that it's Robinson, a player once described by a former coach as having "ADHD that has ADHD " - referring to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

There's no doubting that Robinson is loud. There's no doubting that he is constant movement. And there's no doubting that his new coach loves every bit of it.

"It's fun to me," Jackson said. "I'm a guy who always loved to play basketball. I expressed it and let everybody know how much fun I was having. It was a thrill, an honor and a joy for me to be on the floor. Nate is a guy who shows that every time he's on the floor."

When the Warriors' brass was worried about bringing Robinson into the locker room in January, Jackson said the decision would be on him.

"There were certainly question marks about him, but those questions could not be further from the truth," Jackson said. "There was no one who said he was a bad guy, that he didn't compete or that he was a bad teammate."

Since that decision, Robinson has averaged 11.2 points, 4.5 assists and 1.5 turnovers a game. In the past six games, he has laughed and danced his way to averages of 19.5 points, 6.8 assists and two turnovers a game.

That joy sometimes has been construed as a problem. It brought into question his character, his approach and his mentality. His first two teams - New York and Boston - traded him. Oklahoma City simply paid him to go away.

"You might look at a laugh, a joke or dancing and say, 'That's not how you do it,' but that's really not important," Jackson said. "I mean, Reggie Miller danced before games, and he got it done.

"I danced, and I had antics. I needed a guy with a chip, with an edge. I needed someone to spike up the locker room, to make some noise in there. It was too quiet in there.

"It's never quiet with Nate."

Unless he's writing.

Robinson said that being traded from New York, where he spent his first 4 1/2 seasons, brought a number of emotions to the surface. His younger brother advised him not to explore any of those thoughts in the media, but to jot them down in a journal.

So that's what Robinson did. And that's what he still does - three teams and three years later.

"It's whatever I'm thinking that day," Robinson said. "I just write about some of the funny stuff that happens or whatever I'm thinking about my family, a movie or the game. I can write whatever.

"It's like Coach saying 'whatever' and letting me be myself. He understands that if you're trying to play without being yourself, you're not going to play your best. He understands how much I love this game, and that my fire comes from allowing my inner child to come out on the court."

6-pack

Backup point guard Nate Robinson has played some of his most productive minutes in the past six games, despite struggling with a strained right hamstring:

Mins

FG%

3pt%

Pts

Ast

TOs

Last six

27.2

54.9

45.2

19.5

6.8

2.0

Overall

23.4

42.4

36.5

11.2

4.5

1.5

Friday's game

Who: Warriors (22-39) at Mavericks (35-28)

When: 5:30 p.m.

TV/Radio: CSNBA/1050

Of note: Dallas has beaten Golden State in 11 of 16 meetings since the Warriors upset the top-seeded Mavericks in the 2007 playoffs. ... Jason Kidd has three straight double-digit scoring efforts for the first time since December. It could have been four, but he settled for nine points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists (just shy of his 108th career triple-double) in a 112-103 victory over the Warriors on April 12. ... Brandan Wright, who had one night of at least 16 points and nine rebounds in three seasons with the Warriors, beat his former team with those numbers in the last meeting.